Friends for Life 2: A Night of Comedy to Benefit LifeWorks

It’s always interesting to me to see comedians do the same material in front of different audiences. A couple of years ago I went to an event where a pretty well-known comedian did a set I’d seen get huge laughs in the past. He absolutely bombed with this new audience (at an awards ceremony). Same with a female comedian I love – she did a comedy special that people went crazy for, but then did the same shtick at a pretty big awards show and was met with stony silence.

It’s especially hard at a charity event, I think, because a lot of people who give to charities tend to have a lot more political sensitivities. A few times people got groans and hisses last night for what I thought here pretty harmless snipes at celebs, etc. My pal Alec (who performed last night and killed) said he recently did a fundraiser where the organizers had to write a letter of apology to a politician about whom he made a sassy comment.

Anyway, I marvel at the ease with which so many comedians can deliver material. Anyone who has seen me do my thing knows I tend to be very spazzy and talk too fast. Bruce Vilanch did a very casual and hilarious set. Jason Stuart played part of his new special Making it to the Middle (airing on Here! TV). Suzanne Westenhoefer cracked me up with some great bits, then Alec did a few pieces he developed for his ‘No Fats Femmes or Asians’ show. I had to leave after that because of the TLS finale, but I had a great time. It reminded me that I don’t see nearly as much comedy as I did in Chicago, and that I should remedy that.

LifeWorks offers one on one, peer, and group mentoring opportunities for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth ages 14-24. Their goal is to help GLBTQ youth to realize their goals and dreams with a safe space, positive and affirming role models, and workshops & activities that are fun and educational. Check out the website and join!